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STAINED GLASS Modern: Hermet and Juteau

 

The last stained glass windows were made by Mr Gérard Hermet and Ms Mireille Juteau from the Lorin glass shop in Chartres in 1994, thanks to funding from various state and regional administrations, from the local City Council and also from a public subscription.

Hermet and Juteau worked around two main themes: the Virgin and Christ, linking them to the saints to whom the various chapels are dedicated.

It seems obvious that a dialogue between shapes and colours is created, thanks to multiform flowing lines, magical colours and variegated nuances that invite everyone to meditation.

 

Saint Mauxe chapel recalls the memory of two local martyrs, St Vénérand and St Mauxe - often mistaken for another St Mauxe, the Bishop of Riez who is also venerated in this church. The colours of the window draw from the theme of martyrdom and suffering with the red of blood and the grey of ashes. 1

Homage to Saint Adjutor At the bottom, blue and ochre may suggest the river Seine and the boat in which the saint performed his miracle while, at the top the lead has been wrought in the shape of the chains that fettered him. Read here the page dedicated to this local saint 2

To illustrate Christ's words : "Peace be with you", the artists have chosen prevailing blue and yellow colours with horizontal lines that might suggest the tranquillity of a seashore.   3

The colours and the shape of the window that illuminates Saint Madeleine chapel can suggest a woman or a crowd praying with the arms raised in supplication but also it may evoke Madeleine's hair with which - according to tradition, - she dried Christ's feet after washing them. 4

You may not know that Vernon has been connected with the space industry for almost sixty years and that all the engines of the European Ariane rockets are designed and built here. This space activity is evoked by the Cosmos window displaying an upward movement of lines and colour. However, the glass may also represent the heaven-bound souls of those killed in wars and whose commemorative plaques can be seen under the window. 5

Saint Vincent chapel. He is the patron of vine growers and it may come as a surprise to see a chapel dedicated to this saint in this region which is far from being famous for its vineyards! However, suprising though it may seem, wine used to be grown here until the beginning of the 20th century, producing very poor quality wine and this explains thedevotion (unexpected in Normandy, the country of cider) to the saint. The pattern of the glass may evoke vinestocks. More information about vineyards around Vernon. 6

Window of the chapel of the Brotherhood of Charity. 7

 

Probably one of the finest window in the church. Above the East entrance door, it illustrates a verse of the Gospel according to St John: 'I am the light of the world'. Note the brilliance of the radiating red and yellow colours of this window lit by the rising sun.   8

This abstract window evokes the fifteen Rosary-corresponding Mysteries of the life of Christ. Each Mystery is meditated by reciting a part of the Rosary (ten 'Ave Maria') symbolised on the window by a cluster of ten white dots. The fifteen Mysteries are: * at the bottom: the 5 joyous mysteries in bright yellow overtones; * in the middle : the 5 sorrowful mysteries in dull grey overtones; * above: the 5 glorious mysteries in vivid blue overtones. At the very top, rose petals represent prayers to the Virgin since it was customary in the Middle Ages to crown the Virgin's statues with roses, each rose symbolising a prayer. 9

Large transept window (Baptismal chapel) with red and white hues suggesting an upward rise that celebrates the Glory of Christ risen from the dead 10